Despite Pussy Hats, These Intersectional Posters Shined Through at the Women’s March

The pussy hats excluded trans women and women of color. Excluding the most vulnerable women from the conversation = white feminism at its best.

Today marked the largest and most peaceful protest in U.S. history. Women and men rallied together both domestically and abroad to advocate for women’s rights and to resist Donald Trump’s inauguration. The largest march took place in Los Angeles with estimates of more than 750,000 people. Washington D.C. also had an unprecedented turnout of more than 500,000 people. There’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned villain to unite people, huh?

That being said, there was a major point of contention at the march: the pussy hats. The hats excluded trans women, as well as women of color. The pussy hats imply that you must have specific genitalia to identify as a woman. Additionally, they excluded women of color by insinuating that pussies must be pink. I guess this is why, for the most part, the only women you saw wearing the pink pussy hats were white.

Image from Business Insider.

Excluding the most vulnerable women from the conversation = white feminism at its best.

On a positive note, this did not hinder many women from gathering to highlight their intersecting identities and to stand for marginalized women at the march. To the women who are advocating for the the collective advancement of ALL women: We see you. You remind us of Audre Lorde’s timely words:

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

Heather was born in Chicago and raised in Pasadena, California and proudly claims Oakland as her adopted home. She has a B.A. in African-American Studies from Smith College (proud Smithie), and a Masters in Education Leadership from New York University. Heather's spent the past decade working in the field of educational equity and advocacy. She currently teaches Child and Adolescent Development at San Francisco State University and manages a blog called What's Happening Black Oakland? She also contributes to Blavity, a blog for black millennials.
Heather's committed to writing interesting and relevant stories that aren't being covered by the mainstream media, while straying away from the single story that is usually imposed on people of color. In her free time she enjoys traveling and going to live shows.